Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Today, we would like to say thank you to members from the Atonement Lutheran Church of Boulder for sharing their time by volunteering to clean up part of our fleet of service vehicles earlier this month.
Church member Andreas Beuschel captured the following photos; you can see more of his portfolio at http://davisbeuschel.com/Portfolio_red/album/index.html.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Imagine!’s Volunteer Program officially began five years ago (of course, we had volunteers before, but it was a loosely organized effort).To celebrate five years of volunteerism at Imagine!, we'd like to share short videos spotlighting five volunteers who have truly made a difference at Imagine!. Of course, choosing just five volunteers was very difficult – last year 379 volunteers donated 8,784 hours of their time to support Imagine!’s mission of creating a world of opportunity for all abilities!We are grateful to them all, and hope that the five we highlight serve as a great representation of the many generous folks who so kindly give back to their communities.Today’s video features our second volunteer highlight: Patrick McCue, who volunteers for Imagine!’s Out & About department.
Thanks Patrick, for all you do for Imagine!.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

To learn more about participating in this research project, contact Talia Thompson by telephone at 303-871-2379, or by email at Talia.thompson@du.edu, or Dr. Jeanine Coleman at 303-871-2496, or at Jeanine.coleman@du.edu.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Earlier this month, Donna and Gerald, who live in Imagine!'s Santa Fe Group Home, and Stacey and Toby, who live in Imagine!'s Charles Family SmartHome, participated in the annual Broncos 7K event. They all had a great time, and Donna and Gerald even got to meet Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller during the Expo before the race. They must have brought the team good luck, which manifested itself during last night’s thrilling victory in the Broncos’ season opener.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Congratulations are in order for Hannah Bozzay and Jenna Sallee on being selected as the September 2016 recipients of the Imagine! Excellence in Customer Service Award.

The pair were nominated because of an email sent from a family member praising them both for their support and dedication:

"Imagine! has been a crucial part of our son’s life these past 30 years and we will all miss the amazing relationships and services with Imagine!. I doubt Arizona will have anything close to what is provided for our son here but we are excited for this next chapter in our family's adventure of life. Jenna, you have been incredible over the years. Hannah, your devotion and attention to our son’s needs have been so thorough. Both of you have patience and commitment that have been amazing. You truly embody the passion that makes Imagine! such an outstanding program for the community of people with developmental disabilities."

Great work, Hannah and Jenna, and congratulations on this well-deserved honor!

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has proclaimed the week of September 12-16, 2016 as Direct Support Professionals (DSP) Week. This proclamation recognizes the invaluable supports Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) provide and the difference this workforce makes in the lives of Coloradans with disabilities.

Click on the image for a larger view.

Direct Support Professionals, often referred to as caregivers, personal assistants, or home care aides, are the lynchpin to the ultimate success or failure of community-based long-term supports. DSP workers build close, trusted relationships with the many people with disabilities they assist each day. They work in community settings assisting people with disabilities with medications, preparing and eating meals, dressing, mobility, participating in activities that they love, and handling daily affairs. The daily challenges these front-line workers face are both physically and emotionally demanding.

We are so fortunate here at Imagine! to have so many dedicated, talented, and passionate people who are willing not only to take on this difficult job, but to excel at it. In honor of DSP Recognition Week, I’d like to use this space to acknowledge all of the DSPs who work here at Imagine!.

Imagine! DSPs: Thank you for your commitment to the individuals we serve. I am humbled by your work ethic, compassion, and creativity. You inspire me every day.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

The Boulder Police Department in collaboration with the Association for Community Living (ACL) present a free Safety First course for teens with intellectual/developmental disabilities.
Safety First for teens is a free five-week course taught by Boulder Police Officers.
This course focuses on:

Decision making skills

Street smart safety

Home security

Fire safety

Getting around town safely

Calling on police support and 911

Teen Safety First offers small group activities, some lecture, and lots of positive interactions with police and fire personnel.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Radio-KGNU class is a community-based class offered by Imagine! Colorado’s CORE/Labor Source (Longmont). This weekly class takes place at KGNU Community Radio’s studios in Boulder and supports individuals’ development of various social and communicative skills through their participation in monthly class radio projects and recordings. The radio class writes, produces, performs, and edits original radio recordings and submits them to their tab on the KGNU website.The individuals in htis class make all recordings. Click here to hear their first podcast, enjoy!